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Heyward, J. Upton homer late in loss to Mets

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J. Upton, Hudson on progress 1:13

3/25/13: Justin Upton and Tim Hudson discuss the club's progress this spring as well as the importance of having a healthy roster

By Mark Bowman
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MLB.com |

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Collin Cowgill hit his fourth home run of the Grapefruit League season and Dillon Gee cruised through six scoreless innings as the Mets beat the Braves, 7-4, at Champion Stadium Monday afternoon.

Gee faced just one more than the minimum number of batters as he surrendered two singles and recorded seven strikeouts against what will essentially be the Braves' regular lineup. The right-hander struck out five of the final six batters he faced.

Cowgill's third-inning shot over the left-field wall accounted for the last of the three home runs surrendered by Braves starter Mike Minor, who allowed five earned runs and six hits in five innings. The other two home runs were hit by Andrew Brown and Jamie Hoffmann, who were both reassigned to Minor League camp on Sunday.

Brown highlighted New York's three-run first inning with a two-run home run that hit more than halfway up the 60-foot wall located behind the center-field fence. Hoffmann began the second inning with another towering shot that easily cleared the center-field fence.

Jason Heyward and Justin Upton put the Braves on the board with back-to-back homers to begin the bottom of the seventh against Robert Carson. Heyward's home run was his fourth this spring and first since March 1. Upton has four home runs in his past 18 at-bats.

Up next: Tim Hudson will make his final Spring Training start when the Braves travel to Lakeland to face the Tigers on Tuesday at 1:05 p.m. ET (listen on Gameday Audio). Hudson will likely throw just four innings in preparation for Monday's Opening Day start against the Phillies at Turner Field. The Braves are expected to take all of their regulars to Lakeland for this year's final Grapefruit League matchup against the Tigers. Right-handed reliever Jordan Walden, who missed nearly a month with a sore back, is scheduled to pitch and attempt to prove he will be ready for the start of the regular season.

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.